Improvement in railroad-car brakes



Patented Dec.V 28, 1858.I

J. W. RICE.

N4 z ms UNITED STATES ATENT OEEICE.

JOHN IV. RICE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 222,455, datedDecember 28, 1858.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be itknown `that I, JOHN IV. RICE, of Springfield, in the county ofIIampden, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Oar- Brakes for Railroad-Cars; and I do herebydeclare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and letters ofreference marked thereon, making part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in a new combination and mechanicalarrangement of parts, which makes a more simple and effectualarrangement than my former patent bearing date August 3, 1858, and hencean improvement over that.

The improvement consists, iirst, in dispensin gwith a bar or rodextending from one brakebeam to the other, which served for one purposeto support or hold the double-fulcrum leverL in its proper place. Bythis arrangement I suspend the double-fulcrum lever L and brake-rods MM, holding them in their proper position by means of the suspension-barII and crotch-bolt I, attached to the center truckbealn E. Thesuspension-bar should be made of spring metal, so as to accommodate theaction or tension of the brakes when applied to the wheels, so that thewhole of the brakes shall operate simultaneously on all of the wheelstogether by applying the-brakes Vat either or bot-h ends of the car atthe same time, and the double-fulcrum lever L can be set. at any angleand held in its proper position by means of the crotch-bolt I and nut J.The tension of the brake-rods M can be regulated by means of the nuts Non the outerend resting against the outside of the brake-beams; or,second, by making what may be called a continuous brake or connectionrod playing round the loose pulley K, and can be regulated by means ofthe swivels O O. It will read ily be perceived by this arrangement thatit is immaterial at which end of the car the brakes are applied, as itis constantly pulling one and the same way, or, by applying the power ateither end separately it will relieve the screw at the opposite end; orshould either end get o'ut of repair I still have the double-actionbrake with all its symmetry and simplicity, as either end operatesindepend ently of the opposite end, which result could not be so readilyeffected were it not for the arrangement of the horizontal pulley K, andshould two parties be operating the brakes at the same time at oppositeends of the car, to prevent applying the brakes too powerfully, whichwould slide the wheels, which is a common evil, as it in a great measuredestroys the friction, and also destroys the wheels in an incrediblyshort time, which frequently seriouslyaffects the finances of manyrailroad companics, I have obviated the evil and can regulate the powerapplied and take up slack chain, dsc., by means of collars P P on thestandard q, that guides the nut R to the screw S, being the onlyeffectual means in use to accomplish the much-desired object ofregulating the friction applied to the wheels. Vith my invention it canbe easily accomplished.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use and apply myinvention to railroadcars, I will proceed to describe its applicationand. operation, to render it plain and distinct. As it will be seen bythe drawing, I have a skeleton platform, so that it shows the whole.arrangement of parts of the brakes and how they are applied, rc.

A Arepresent the skeleton platform; B B, bearings between the platformor body of the car and the trucks; O O, side pieces to the trucks; F F,end pieces; E E, the center truckbeam; D D, pedestals 5 G G, brake-beamsII H, the suspensionbars attached to the center truck-beams E E; I I,the crotch-bolt, and J J the nuts that regulate the angle to thedoublefulerum lever L and holds it up; K, the loose pulley, aroundwhich'the continuous connection-rod V plays; L L, the double-fulcru'mlevers; M M, the brake-rods that connect the doublefulcrum lever to thebrake-beams M M, and N N the nuts that regulate and confine them to thebrake-beams; O O, swivels to regulate the length of the continuousconnection-rodV; P P, collars on the standard q to regulate the amountof power applied to the brakes R R, and S S the nut and screw thatoperate the brakes when the power is applied to the same; T T, thebalance-wheels where the power is applied to the screw; V V, thecontinuous connection-rod, a p

part of which is made of chain, so as 'to readily play round the loosepulley K and operate which patent bears date August 3d, 1858.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The suspension-bar H and crotch-bolt I and nut J When arranged andoperating in the manner and for the purposes substantially as described.

2. 'Phe continuous rod V and loose pulley K in combination With thesuspension-bar Il and erotchet-bolt I and nut J' when arranged andoperating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The loose collars P P, on the standard q When applied in the mannerand for the purposes substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 15th day of November,A. D. 1858.

JOHN W. Bion.

Witnesses:

E. W. BOND, F. L. KING.

